Registration Of Child Marriages Will Now Be Allowed In Rajasthan After New Bill Passage

Rajasthan has passed a bill to amend an act on mandatory registration of marriages, including child marriages, with the opposition staging a walkout from the assembly.

The assembly on Friday passed the Rajasthan Compulsory Registration of Marriages (Amendment) Bill, 2021 by voice vote to amend a 2009 Act on mandatory registration of marriages within 30 days of the union.

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What does it mean?

The bill has brought child marriage under its ambit, stating that a marriage between a bridegroom who has not completed 21 years and a bride who has not completed 18 years of age could be registered by the parents or guardians within 30 days of the marriage, said the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Shanti Kumar Dhariwal in the assembly.

The new legislation, opposition BJP has claimed, will legitimise child marriages. BJP legislators walked out of the House and questioned the need for the registration of child marriages and demanded the withdrawal of the bill. The Congress government in the state, however, said that the bill has been brought on the basis of a Supreme Court order.

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Who said what

¡°It will be a black day for the assembly if this bill is passed. Does the assembly permit us to unanimously allow child marriages? By a show of hands, we will be permitting child marriages. The bill will write a black chapter in the history of the assembly,¡± BJP MLA Ashok Lahoti said, according to news agency ANI.

"Today, the majority of the people agree with this law and have mentally prepared themselves. They provide education to their students but they dislike the concept of child marriages. But if you justify child marriages like this, then it will create a wrong impression for the people. The Rajasthan Vidhan Sabha will be defamed," Member of Legislative Assembly Sanyam Lodha said.

Following which, Dhariwal said in the assembly, "The bill does not say that child marriage is valid. The bill says that after marriage, only registration is necessary. It does not imply that child marriage is valid. If the District Collector wants, he or she can still take action against the child marriages."

AP

"This amendment is not in contradiction to the central law. The Supreme Court has also ruled that there should be compulsory registration of marriages. Hence the bill includes child marriages," Dhariwal said.

¡°You say that child marriages will be validated. Nowhere does this amendment say that such marriages will be valid. A marriage certificate is a legal document, in the absence of which a widow won't receive the benefit of any govt scheme,¡± Dhariwal was quoted as saying by ANI.

Earlier, the House rejected the motion of the members to publicize the bill by voice vote.The Rajasthan Assembly also witnessed a walkout by the opposition in protest against the bill.